Day 5, Natchez, MS - 86 miles

It is no exaggeration to affirm that a journey by bicycle is like none other; it is a thing apart; it has a tempo and a style of its own.
- James E. Starrs,
The Noiseless Tenor




It looks like we are getting into a pattern: Sweat-ride-drink, sweat-ride-drink. Or as our guide, Carol, puts it "sugar cane on the left, levee on the right, no shade overhead."  Yesterday we actually had a bit of a change in scenery as there was corn on the left.  Due to circumstances, we were more bunched together yesterday.  At mile nine we were advised to wait at "Not Your Mama's Cafe" for the SAG which would then escort us over the narrow Morganza spillway.  This was particularly exciting for those of us who did the Southern Tier four years ago as it was at this very same cafe where we had to wait for four hours to be shuttled across the Mississippi due to flooding. The same Pac-Man machine is there and from the thickness of the dust, I don't doubt our quarters are still sitting in its till.

At mile 20 the SAG was waiting as planned.  With this heat it is imperative that water bottles are kept topped off at all times and you have enough calories on hand so you don't run out of energy.  I rolled out of the SAG stop with Penny and Pat, two of my great friends from the Southern Tier, and we headed down the very empty road.  There was indeed no shade overhead and there were no services anywhere on this road.  Every time we stopped the heat would radiate up from the pavement, seemingly increasing the temperature by 20 degrees.  When rolling, the breeze would facilitate at least a little bit of evaporative cooling.  At mile 40, Lynne (our chef) had a wonderful picnic lunch waiting for us, and at mile 60 was our next SAG.  This SAG stop was at the edge of the only copse of trees seen for miles and, for our viewing pleasure, was accompanied by a bear (pig? wild dog?) pelt stuck on a nearby post.  There were also lots of animal bones strewn about and I was sure it was a voodoo camp or Yeti's feeding ground so I didn't stay long.  Besides, there was only 20 more miles to go.

At mile 80 we still weren't in town and, thanks to my Garmin bike computer, I knew we had another 5 or so miles to go. It was really hot but I had been staying well hydrated and I was even carrying an extra water bottle in my pocket just in case.  That "just in case" came in handy as I soon came across a rider who wasn't feeling too well and admitted she had been out of water for the last five miles.  I shared mine, flagged down the van which happened to be passing at that moment, and all was well.  We rode in together and arrived at the hotel about an hour before a big, booming thunderstorm hit.

Me and the Mississippi

We entered our second state, Mississippi, at the end of the ride.  Our hotel is the Historic Eola, one of only 60 hotels in America on the National Historic Registry.  Many of us gathered in the lobby before dinner to chat and admire Moria's new shoes.  You see, Moria is from Scotland and seems to have brought very beautiful but rather impractical footwear.  Someone in the group convinced her to order a pair of Keen sandals from Zappos and they arrived today.  She said she never heard of Keens and they are not available in her country.  She is quite pleased with her purchase.

Yesterday evening a tour bus full of people arrived at the hotel.  It's interesting to see the differences in our groups.  The bus people disembarked and made a beeline for the cookies and sat down to enjoy them.  Our group also made a beeline for the cookies but we stuffed our cheeks and kept moving.  I guess that's not so much of a difference but by looking at the expressions on people's faces, we were sure having a lot more fun.